Olivia Ryan

Olivia Ryan, Opinions Editor of The Pendulum, is a sophomore from a small town in northern New Jersey. She is majoring in Journalism and Policy Studies with minors in Leadership Studies and Political Science. Other than writing for the Pendulum, her three greatest loves in life are showtunes, fries and Diet Coke, in no particular order.

Recent Articles

Each month, Raghu Tadepalli — in addition to his many responsibilities as dean of the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business — has lunch with senior business students to discuss their praises and critiques of the business school.

A few months ago, I published a column criticizing the overwhelming willingness of the media and society in general to sweep charges of rape and sexual assault under the rug for well-respected males in a feeble attempt to maintain their shiny images.

The other day, to help with an article she was writing for one of her classes, a friend of mine sat down with me and asked me if I had ever used counseling services at Elon.
As we sat in the crowded Moseley Student Center, I felt myself look around the room cautiously before quietly answering “Yes.” I have been using counseling services on and off ever since I first got to Elon.

A few days ago, curiosity got the best of me. With barely any hesitation, I opened Snapchat, clicked “Add Friends” and typed in the username “elon.snap."
After I clicked to view their “Story”, I immediately regretted the decision.

In Flint, Michigan, 102,000 people have been poisoned by contaminated drinking water. Nine thousand of those people are children under the age of 6, according to an article by Michael Moore in The Huffington Post. This is an issue that has been brewing for years, but it is just now getting the media attention and support it deserves.

Before taking my Winter Term class this year, IDS224: “Non-Violence and Civil Rights," my classmates and I dreaded learning more about the historic Civil Rights Movement. I didn’t believe that I would gain anything new from the class and saw learning the material as an obligation. However, I am happy to say that I was proved wrong: that as I read and engaged, I found there was so much I still had to learn.
Contrary to my prior belief, the Civil Rights Movement was far more than a bus boycott and a few marches. Most importantly, the Civil Rights Movement was about more than just civil rights. At its core, the movement was truly about human rights.

While the bagel brunch is a recurring event that allows the community to come together, diversity and inclusion was emphasized at today’s gathering. The event follows an incident where discriminatory messages were written on the board in Koury Athletic Center.